This invention addresses a longstanding need in industry for improved environmental related communications between a business entity and the public which, of course, includes prospective consumers of the products or services offered by the industry. The use of the Internet provides a new and creative approach that enhances the effectiveness of this invention above the traditional use of other media. This approach often entails communications with organizations such as special interest groups, consumer advocate groups, the media, organizations such as retailers in the relevant channels of trade and the like. As used herein, the term “industry” includes any branch of trade, business, manufacture, service provider, agriculture, labor union, whether profit or non-profit, such as the automobile industry, telecommunications industry, health care industry, educational organizations, etc.
The federal and state governments have promulgated regulations intended to sustain the environment by requiring industry, especially the automotive industry, to meet specific standards in product performance and in certain aspects of manufacturing operations. This has resulted in complex laws and regulations pertaining to air pollution and fuel consumption which tend to be somewhat arbitrary and inconsistent with the demands of the market place. The results are not effectively communicated to the consumer for serving as an aid in selection of a new vehicle. The governmental approach to sustaining the environment leaves much to be desired and lacks any element of a market-driven system.
The annual publication “ACEEE's Green Book” (hereafter Green Book) by the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy, Washington, D.C., lists certain ratings for detailed vehicle descriptions in respect to environmental performance. The rating system used for the publication is not compatible with industry or consumer needs.
The Green Book reports a “Green Score” on a scale from zero to 100 for certification vehicle configurations used by the government to determine compliance with applicable standards. The vehicles are grouped by class, i.e. type of body style, such as midsize car, minivan, standard pickup and so on. A summary of ratings indicating the top-rated certification vehicle configurations in each class is tabulated using five symbols based on a certification vehicle configuration's rank within its class. The tabulation also shows the Green Score for each of the certification vehicle configurations. The Green Score is based on official emissions and fuel-economy test results, other specifications reported by automobile manufacturers.
The Green Book rating and reporting of the environmental performance of certification vehicle configuration is not a market-driven system for sustaining the environment because it is not compatible with the way auto manufacturers advertise and sell their products or the way consumers gain awareness. The consumer and manufacturer focus is at the brand/model level not the certification vehicle configuration level. The creation of the environmental performance ratings in a timely manner at the brand/model level, rather than the certification vehicle configuration level is a non-trivial matter.
The Green Book is released half way through the model year thereby limiting its impact to those buyers in the later half of the model year. In most cases a consumer can not order a vehicle based on the way the Green Book describes them. According to the Green Book, the only way the a customer can be sure they are considering a vehicle the Green Book has rated is to lift the hood of the actual vehicle under consideration and check the emissions compliance label physically installed on the vehicle. In general, the information in the Green Book is as complicated as the government regulations that generated the certification data used in the ratings.